4 Reasons to Get a Good Night Sleep

Throughout your life, sleep plays a vital role in your physical, mental and emotional well-being. Being well rested is associated with mental clarity, healthy body and pleasant demeanor.

Healthy Brain

During sleep your brain is preparing for the next day. Studies show that a good night’s sleep improves your ability to learn. From perfecting your golf swing, learning to play the obo or remembering your shopping list sleep helps enhance your learning and problem solving skills. If you’re having trouble making decisions or paying attention you may not be getting good quality sleep.

Emotional Well-Being

Studies show that sleep deprivation can alter activity in certain parts of the brain. If you’re suffering from sleep deprivation you may have trouble controlling your emotions and behavior or dealing with change. Children and teens can be particularly susceptible to sleep deprivation by displaying mood swings, impulsivity control or lack of motivation.

Physical Health

Sleep plays a major role in your physical health. Ongoing sleep deficiency has been linked to increase risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity. While you sleep your body is working to repair your heart and blood vessels. Sleep helps your body maintain levels of ghrelin and leptin, the hormones that control hunger and the feeling of fullness. When you don’t get enough sleep, your level of ghrelin goes up and your level of leptin goes down. This makes you feel hungrier than when you’re well rested.Sleep also plays a role in a healthy immune system. Sleep deprivation can change the way your immune system responds- leaving you vulnerable to common infections.

Daily Performance

If you don’t sleep well, you’re less productive at work and school. Feeling groggy and sluggish doesn’t help anyone: you make more mistakes and take longer to complete tasks. After several nights of losing sleep—even a loss of just 1–2 hours per night—your ability to function suffers as if you haven’t slept at all for a day or two.

If you aren’t feeling yourself, maybe you aren’t sleeping as well as you could. Talk to your physician today. Here at Sleep Center of Middle Tennessee we are experts at helping you get a good night’s sleep. This blog is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to substitute for a diagnosis, treatment, or advice from your physician.